cohenzone
Old Member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 19,235
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True enough about Calhoun. Both Perno and Raftery actually had decent records prior to entering the BE, which was obviously over their heads. In hindsight, the player making the worst decision to play for UConn was Corny. I think he had an offer from Dean Smith. He really didn’t progress as much as he might have as good as he was. Edsall was more like Perno. Hired as a D1A coach he was defaulted into our entry into the BE and caught lightening in a bottle when Danny O stayed home and made us competitive much faster than anyone had a right to expect. To his credit RE pretty much kept us competitive even with his bad record with getting quality QBs, discussed here ad nauseum. I just think RE was never as good as he fancied himself. I was less than thrilled when we rehired him. I wish he had proven me wrong. Mora has a tough job, an independent, no bowl affiliation and a program in the pits. Which gives him a decent grace period.It was a different era
Good ol' Dom Perno. He was the way hiring used to be: alum and had been an assistant; he was deeply integrated into CT and NE. It was like Dee Rowe handed him a crown/scepter/throne. No search really as Toner obviously knew who he was. We were vastly unprepared for what the Big East became. Raftery too really. Seton Hall was a mess when they showed up to play. Then we got our tails whipped. The Corny Thompson, Mike McKay, Aleksinas talent was high - for out Program. But that descended quick. And I guess I am still amazed at what Calhoun did winning that NIT.
Recently, they were throwing us back into the time machine describing the VCU game in that NIT (as we played VCU in Bahamas). There is a tear in my eye thinking of that smelly old fieldhouse and the tight memories.